Eternal bonds
by ishiwa kon
Summary: Minato died in order to seal Nyx. He sacrificed his life to become the Great Seal, to become a barrier between Nyx and Erebus, the manifestation of humanity's negative will and grief. He fulfilled his promise with his friends. Everything was over. But, after forging countless and precious bonds with others, he, for the first time in a long time, felt lonely.
1. Chapter 1

**Eternal Bonds.**

**Summary**: Minato died in order to seal Nyx. He sacrificed his life to become the Great Seal, to become a barrier between Nyx and Erebus, the manifestation of humanity's negative will and grief. He fulfilled his promise with his friends. Everything was over. But, after forging countless and precious bonds with others, he, for the first time in a long time, felt lonely

**Warning: might contain spoiler.**

**I do not own Persona 3  
**

**The picture is not mine, credits to the original owner**

* * *

A large golden door with eyes all over its surface stood in a place where human's consciousness was connected, the sea of soul. The eyes moved rapidly as if it was trying to see something in that endless darkness. A small human sized statue with arms spread hung in the middle of the door. It was hanging merely by the small chains attached to the door. The statue, evidently a male, held a slight melancholy in its expression. It was the guardian of that door.

Golden trails of unidentified substance similar to those of sands surrounded the door. It circled around the door like a protective barrier, although it could do nothing of the sort. However, the golden substance did a remarkable job of shining in dark, making the door appear almost bright and majestic.

The deafening silence was disturbed when out of nowhere a large quantity of black liquid began to appear near the door. The liquid gradually began to take shape. It took the form of a large dual faced monster resembling that of a goats'. The creature, Erebus, reached towards the statue. It stated to claw and pull at the human shaped stone. Its effort was in vain as the statue did not budge.

Erebus growled, the sound echoing throughout the place. It kept its effort in trying to remove the statue, the seal, which was blocking its way to the Great Being behind the door. However, it stopped its movement when it sensed something.

"Veeelvet, oh velvet. " A beautiful young woman sang.

The woman stared at the enormous creature with her bright yellow eyes. She wore a blue hat and held a thick leather bound compendium. The blue dress that she wore swayed slightly at her movements. The woman oozed power from her very being, making it clear that she was not someone to be trifled with.

_ "…Elizabeth…"_

"My maaaster has a laaarge nose…" Elizabeth sang the rest of the song. The woman then smiled at creature in front of her. Even though Erebus was ten times bigger than her, the white haired woman appeared completely relaxed and unafraid.

Erebus seemed to sense the woman's power and it growled at her. It tensed up and waited for the right moment to attack. When the woman sighed at it, the creature got the impression that it was the right time to attack. It growled loudly and lunged at the woman with such ferocity that the ground shook.

"My, what an ugly little thing you are." She said and sidestepped the attack. Then, with her surprisingly enormous strength, she flipped the creature. The creature howled in agony. Seeing that the creature was distracted, she opened her book. A large magic circle appeared in the air. It shined brightly and when the glow subsided, Elizabeth and Erebus was nowhere to be seen.

A few moments passed before another magic circle appeared. This time, only one being was being transported. It was the beautiful young woman, Elizabeth. She closed the compendium and the magic circle disappeared. She glanced at the area and smile, seemingly satisfied.

"Changing the scenery without doubt is the correct idea. I certainly cannot damage the sea of everyone's soul by fighting that foul creature here." She nodded to herself. Then, her expression became troubled and she sighed again.

"That foul thing will surely resurrect within the year again." Elizabeth whispered.

The white haired woman looked up and stared at the large golden door in front of her. Her attention however, was focused on the statue that hung in the middle of the door. She smiled sadly.

"It's been awhile." She paused as if she was unsure what to say next.

"…I am no longer a resident of Velvet room. I left my post in order to see through a desire of mine. I am searching for a way to free a special soul. A way to free _you_" She said.

"My sister, Margaret, will take on my role as Master's assistant until this quest of mine is fulfilled. She's very reliable. Furthermore, her strength is nothing to laugh at. Even I have difficulties fighting her!" Elizabeth laughed quietly as she remembered the fight before her leaving of velvet room.

'…I shouldn't remain here any longer without any objective, after all I'm not a resident of this place._'_ The once resident of Velvet room thought. She gazed at that single statue that hung in the middle of that golden door.

"I may not know the way to accomplish my goal now but I will surely find it. I promise you that."She said at last, her bright yellow eyes narrowed in determination. Then, she relaxed and allowed a small smile to play at her lips.

"I'll be taking my leave now, _Minato_."

_"…Farewell…"_

Elizabeth turned and walked away from the door. She opened her book and a large magic circle appeared again. She stepped through the circle and it glowed brightly. The circle then disappeared and the place went back to its original deafening silence.

* * *

Everything was blurry. It was hard to concentrate. It felt as if something was blocking his senses. He tried to focus on his surroundings. But, black edges began to appear from each corners of his vision as soon as he tried. He attempted to shake his head to clear the black edges, but found himself unable to move. It quickly got worse, the black thing crept closer and closer, almost covering his vision with black. Before he lost consciousness, he thought that he had heard voices from somewhere beneath him.

.

.

.

When he regained consciousness, he felt slightly dazed. Furthermore, he felt really weird, as if he was in a dream and yet at the same time it felt like reality. 'Did that even make any sense?' He thought absentmindedly. His head suddenly throbbed painfully. It was hard to think so he tried not to think. He closed my eyes and took a deep breath, hoping that it would at least lessen the pain. It worked surprisingly. With that gone, he felt unexpectedly tired and without him realizing it, he soon fell asleep.

.

.

.

This time when he woke up, he felt surprisingly aware. Feeling calmer than he should be, he glanced around the area and was slightly surprised by the endless darkness that he saw. Wondering if he had somehow became blind, he glanced at his hands. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw them. Soon he realized however that those hands of his were really pale and appeared to be glowing?

"This is strange."He mumbled.

Upon hearing his own voice, he was taken aback. When did his voice turn like that? His voice…It sounded ethereal. Unearthly. Otherworldly. He didn't let himself dwell too much on it however. Instead he tried to remember what happened. But somehow, he found it hard. It was as if his memories were blocked. He tried harder and a single word form in his mind, _'Persona'_. A sudden wave of sleepiness hit him and he found his eyes drooping. Not long after that, he was asleep.

.

.

.

He woke up a few times after that, each time becoming more and more aware until he was fully alert. He never tried to find a way out of the place since he knew deep inside of him that it would be useless. He felt insecure with how little he remembered. So he devoted himself to remembering, maybe then he could find the answers to his questions. Every time, he managed to remember little bits. But the memories were still too random for him to understand. Hell, he still couldn't understand how they were connected!

He sighed and flopped down on the dark surface, sitting cross-legged. The darkness didn't bother him much and after staring at the never ending darkness for awhile, he had become used to it. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Well, he didn't know and have no intention of knowing. Almost like a routine now, he closed his eyes and concentrated to remember at least a little before the wave of sleepiness hit.

It was always hard to remember. Every time, something would like to block him and each time, he would manage to slip through it. He reached to the deepest part of his memories, something that had never happened before since he would always fall asleep before that could happen. Knowing that there may not be another chance, he reached deeper and deeper. Upon reaching the end, a word flowed into his mind.

'_THE GREAT SEAL'_

As if Pandora box was opened, immeasurable amount of memories began to flow into him, drowning him in seas of memories. He clutched his head, his breathing became shallow. A few drops of sweat rolled down from this forehead.

"Ugh." He groaned.

The feeling gradually faded away until he didn't feel anything. He opened his eyes and his breathing returned to normal. His eyes widened slowly beneath his bangs and he gazed at the darkness in front of him with dawning comprehension.

"I remember now." He whispered.

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.

.

Ever since then he never felt the need to sleep, simply because he never had the urge. He figured that the wave of sleepiness was simply one of the methods to prevent him from remembering. Just like the thing that blocked him. Now that he remembered almost everything, that defense mechanism simply ceased to function. Unfortunately, he never figured out why it wanted to prevent him from remembering. He never gave it much thought to be honest since it didn't matter much and in the end he remembered.

.

Time slowly passed.

.

He sat with his head between his knees in the darkness. He had his hands on his chest and his expression unreadable. His chest hurt for some reason but it was not caused by anything physical, he knew that at least. So what was this emotion he's feeling? It felt …nostalgic.

'But why does it hurt so much?' he thought.

.

.

.

The emotion he's feeling, could it be…?

'But that's not possible!' He furiously thought. It couldn't be! It just can't be that emotion! He can't be feeling this, that's just not-!

He took a shaky breath, trying to calm himself down. That was weird, how could the mere idea of feeling that emotion made him lose his temper. He rarely lost his temper and besides, he was used to feeling it. At that thought, he grimaced.

No matter how many times he denied it, he knew it would not change.

The bonds he made during that year made him forgot the emotion called loneliness.

.

.

.

A slight presence in the darkness made him lift his head from its position on his knees and he glanced around the area. Even though he could sense it, he couldn't see anything in the sea of darkness. He stood up cautiously, and he narrowed his eyes when he felt that presence getting stronger and stronger. When he felt it getting closer to him, he tensed up.

Suddenly, an invisible force slammed into him knocking him onto the ground. He coughed and tried to stand up but the invisible force pinned him to the ground. He struggled against the grip but it was pointless. He stilled when he heard a growl and that growl…seemed to come from in front of him? But there was nothing there! In the corner of his mind, he wondered if he finally snapped from all that time alone.

At that moment, he sensed another presence. A presence that seemed very familiar.

"…Elizabeth…" He breathed out in realization.

After that he felt the grip around him disappeared. He took this chance to stand up and then he focused on the presences. However, they were no longer there. He frowned, wondering if all of these was his mind was playing a trick on him. However, that doesn't explain the pain and supposedly Elizabeth's presence.

After a moment, he felt a presence returning. It was the presence similar to Elizabeth's. But he was still doubtful. Were the things that were happening real or just a figment of his imagination? He sincerely hoped it was the former.

"_It's been awhile."_

He widened his eyes and inhaled sharply. That's her voice! He stood motionlessly as he listened to her next words.

"…_I am no longer a resident of Velvet room. I left my post in order to see through a desire of mine. I am searching for a way to free a special soul. A way to free you."_

He lowered his head with his bangs covering his eyes. He closed his eyes, 'You know that it's impossible, if I'm free so will Nyx.'

"_My sister, Margaret, will take on my role as Master's assistant until this quest of mine is fulfilled. She's very reliable. Furthermore, her strength is nothing to laugh at. Even I have difficulties fighting her!"_

He smiled slightly.

"_I may not know the way to accomplish my goal now but I will surely find it. I promise you that."_

He opened his eyes and stared at the darkness in front of him, his expression devoid of any emotion.

"_I'll be taking my leave now, __**Minato**__."_

It had been so long since someone said his name. And it had been even longer since he heard someone else's voice. He didn't want her to leave. But, no matter how much he wanted it, he knew it wouldn't be possible.

"…Farewell…"

And he was alone again.

* * *

The mist appeared out of nowhere. In that darkness, it twirled around uselessly, seemingly insignificant with its current state. However, bit by bit it started to shift. The shifting went so slowly that one would assume it would never finish what it had wanted to do. Nevertheless, it was not impossible.

After some time, the mist had turned into a shape resembling that of a human's. Inside the shape, something seemed to grow. It grew faster this time. Within minutes, the shape that originally was a mist, became a being.

Minato, who had not been paying attention to his surrounding, snapped his head up when he felt a slight pressure to his right. He turned his head and narrowed his eyes. Something was walking towards his direction. Upon closer inspection, the being, he realized, seemed to be waving at him? Imagining the worse, he immediately tensed up.

"MINATO-KUN!" It shouted happily, when he came into hearing range.

He heard that voice before. It couldn't be who he's thinking, could it?

"Ryoji?" he said in disbelief.

Ryoji came to a halt in front of Minato. He grinned at the blue haired teen but upon noticing the suspicion in those eyes, it turned into a nervous smile. Was there something wrong with his appearance? He looked down and deemed nothing was wrong.

"Is there something wrong, Minato-kun?" He asked and tried to reach for Minato. He widened his eyes in surprise when the latter took a step back.

"Who are you?" Minato's voice was as cold as ice.

"Don't you recognize me? I'm Ryoji!" The avatar of Nyx couldn't understand why the teen was acting like that. They had been friends, even if it was just a little while. Was their short but wonderful friendship so insignificant to the teen that it was easily forgotten? His heart sank.

"Stop lying!" Minato growled, "You couldn't be him. The real Ryoji is currently sealed. He couldn't be here!"

Ryoji blinked and then laughed. Oh, it was all just a misunderstanding, both on his and Minato's part. He stopped laughing and wiped his tears of mirth.

"I can explain! Stop giving me that look Minato-kun! I am the 'real' Ryoji. I can prove it by telling you the things only you and I would know. Let see, I was in your body for 10 years, I first introduced myself as the entity called Pharos to you when I was a amnesiac, during the Kyoto trip when we went into the hot spring bath-"

Ryoji's explanation was interrupted when Minato grabbed his wrists and pulled him into a tight hug. Ryoji froze for a second in surprise before gently patting Minato on the back, all while smiling. After a few seconds, the blue haired teen pulled back, letting go of his grasp on the other's wrist.

"It really is you, Ryoji." Minato whispered as different kinds of emotions raced through him, mainly happiness and confusion. Happiness from seeing his dear friend and confusion for his presence in front of him.

"That's what I've trying to say from the start." Ryoji pouted.

"But how?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Ryoji looked at Minato in mild confusion.

"Ryoji, you're the Appraiser of Nyx, the harbinger of the Fall, I sealed you and became the barrier. Now you're here, outside the seal!" Minato said as the seriousness of the situation seemed to sink in. The teen could feel panic rising and he struggled to breathe. He tried to calm down but found that he couldn't. Possibilities of what might have happened swirled around his head.

"That's because-," Ryoji stopped when he noticed his friend's face turning paler and paler. With growing realization, he grabbed Minato's arms and shook him.

"Minato-kun, breathe! Nothing happened to the seal!" The avatar of Nyx yelled in fright.

That got Minato's attention and he finally gasped, taking in big gulps of air. Feeling his panic subsiding, he looked at Ryoji, his gaze was questioning.

"Right now, what you are seeing is just my essence; my real body is behind the door safely sealed away." Ryoji explained slowly, "This space is connected to where I was sealed and thus enabling me to come here."

Minato nodded at the explanation. However, there was something that bothered him in that explanation.

"If it was connected from the start, why did I not feel your presence until now?"

Ryoji frowned, his eyebrows furrowed. He seemed to be thinking about the question and Minato waited patiently. After a moment, Ryoji titled his head slightly; his expression was of puzzlement. The blue hair teen raised an eyebrow at the expression.

"You're not hurt are you?"

"No. Why do you ask that?" The blue haired teen hadn't been hurt with the exception of one time when he was knocked down by the invisible force. Even that didn't hurt much.

"To be honest, I think I'm not supposed to be here or awake at all. The seal not only confined me, it also forced me into a slumber."

"But you're awake now."

"Exactly my thoughts, I assumed something happened to you so I came here to check. But nothing seemed to be amiss. So what disturbed the sleep?"

They both fell silent, each deep in thoughts. Something had managed to disturb the sleeping essence of Nyx, slipping past the Seal's defenses. This was no laughing matter. Whatever this was, they had to eliminate it before it become really difficult. However, no matter how much Minato tried to think about it, no explanation or solution came into his mind. Maybe he's thinking this in a wrong way.

What if, the problem didn't come from outside but actually from the inside? It's not for certain yet; nevertheless, it was still a possibility as much as he wanted to deny it. If it was coming from the inside then there were two possibilities of where it was coming from. Ryoji and himself.

It couldn't be Ryoji. That he was sure.

All that's left was him, the Seal itself. He hadn't felt any different since he woken up. Sure, there had been a few headaches but nothing too bad. The thing that had slammed him hadn't left permanent damage either. Even right now, he couldn't feel much difference. Minato blinked slowly and touched his chest. There had been a slight difference since he woken up, he realized. He had forgotten about that.

There had been a reason on why he forgotten that as he looked at Ryoji. In the corner of his mind, he wondered if this emotion could've anything to do with Ryoji's awakening. The guardian of the seal decided to mention this. After all, it may be important. Anything, even trivial things might be useful.

"Ryoji, there's this thing I've been feeling for awhile now." Minato started, drawing Ryoji's attention to him.

"What is it, Minato-kun?"

Usually, it would've been embarrassing for him to admit it to other people. But, the past year had been a big change for him, not to mention Ryoji was different. He had been with Minato for ten years (even if he had only properly met him for a year), there was this feeling of trust that seemed natural. Even when he first met him as Pharos, there had been this feeling that pushed him to sign that contract. Otherwise, why should he sign something given to him by a creepy kid wearing prison clothes?

"Ever since I woken up, this emotion kept plaguing me. I've been feeling…"Minato paused, "lonely."

Ryoji stared at him in surprised expression. He was no stranger to loneliness himself, so he could sympathize with the blue haired teen. However, hearing that sentence triggered something in his memory.

"THAT'S IT! I remember now!"Ryoji shouted suddenly. Minato jumped in shock, looking at him in surprise.

"The seal's power, in other words your resolve, is affected by emotions or at least a part of it!" Ryoji explained quickly.

"Then that means…"Minato whispered. It was true, he realized. His emotions had played a big part. He remembered many of them. He had been determined to protect his dear ones. The sadness when Ryoji vanished. He had been fearless while facing Nyx and so much more.

"While positive emotions help you, Negative emotions do the opposite thing!"

From the beginning, all of this had been his entire fault. It was his fault that the seal was weakening. It was his fault for the awakening of Ryoji's slumber. It was his fault for almost endangering his friends. For a second, Minato could feel despair washing through him but it disappeared and was replaced by determination. He couldn't wallow up in self pity. He knew better than that. If there was something wrong then you fix it.

"Is there any way to prevent that?" Minato asked as he looked at Ryoji.

"If loneliness is the problem, wouldn't my company suffice?" Ryoji suggested while stroking his chin.

"It dimmed a little while you're with me, but it's still there."

"Wow, that's a real problem. In cases like this, it's probably better to find the source and either solve it or eliminate it."

Minato nodded. It was obvious which method he will use as the latter's option was more than impossible for him. Both he and Ryoji knew that and they also knew what the source was.

_His friends._

They needed them in order to find a solution to the problem. The question was how. He was only a soul right now, his body either been buried deep underneath the earth or burned. He couldn't just appear in front of them and expect them to see him, well maybe Koromaru could. Either way that plan was flawed in every single way. He couldn't just barge into their lives when they had (hopefully) moved on. In addition, he couldn't even leave in the first place.

"Minato-kun…"

"Have you found a solution?"

"Well, I have something in mind, but I'm not sure whether you'll like it or not." Ryoji's voice sounded hesitant.

"Tell me."

"Since I couldn't think of a way for you to meet your friends in this _world_, maybe we should try our luck in the others?" Ryoji suggested meekly.

The gears in Minato's mind started to work at the implication. As he stared at Ryoji, the avatar seemed to shrink in every second. Finally, it clicked.

"Do you mean Parallel worlds?" he said in shock.

"Is that what you call it?"

"It really exists?" Minato had read books about them but all of them had only been theories.

"Does that mean you disapprove?" Ryoji looked down.

"I'm just surprised. But, I can't Ryoji. There are things I need to do here."

"Like what?" The black haired teen questioned.

"Guarding the door." Minato answered swifly.

"Don't worry! I have a solution to that. What are you worried about Minato-kun? If you don't do anything about this, all that hard work you and your friends did will be all in vain!"

That got a reaction out of the blue haired teen. It was true that staying here was the less favorable decision. The chances of finding a solution there is higher than just waiting for something to happen here. There was also the possibility of his emotion getting more and more fragile to the point it would snapped easily. If that happened, it wouldn't be pretty.

He clenched his hands and stared straight into Ryoji's eyes with determination.

"Alright."

* * *

**Author's note: **Whoop! Finally finished! Haha, this is longer than what I had originally wanted. I always loved Persona 3 and I always wanted a fanfic about it! So I did! I hope to answer some more questions in the next chapter

**Special thanks to Ulquii-sama! **Thank you for your suggestions and constants motivating! Hope you post your fic soon!

**And last but not least, please leave a review when you're done! Like all other authors out there, reviews are our fuel! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Eternal Bonds**

**Chapter 2**

As Minato began to regain consciousness, he found himself feeling surprisingly weak. The material he was laying on was soft against his skin. He tried to move but found himself unable to. He then realized he was wrapped tightly in the same material he was laying on thus making him unable to move. Feeling a bit startled with that revelation, he titled his head to see his surroundings. The color of white immediately assaulted his sight, blinding him momentarily. Opening his eyes slowly, he took in the sight of white walls and ceiling. There was also a constant beeping sound somewhere to his left.

'Is this a…hospital?' He thought.

Minato tried to make a sound but instead he managed a yawn. He felt so, so tired. His eyelids started to feel heavy and he yawned again. He really shouldn't sleep in this unfamiliar place. This might be dangerous. However, he was unable to resist the temptation and soon fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

"_Wake up, wake up Minato-chan."_

"_Why won't you wake up?"_

"_C-mon, Open your eyes little brother."_

Minato stirred and his eyes fluttered open. He stared at the space in front of him dazed until a pair of red crimson eyes came into view. He blinked and made a sound of surprise. Titling his head upwards, he stared at the face who was also staring at him with that pair of crimson eyes. The owner of the eyes was a little girl, who was beaming at him for unknown reason. She had auburn hair that reached her shoulder and she was wearing hospital gown. Given the girl's attire, it seemed that he really was in a hospital.

"Oh! Oh! Minato-chan is finally awake!" The girl exclaimed happily.

The little girl giggled to herself and gave him a wide smile. The girl's cheerful demeanor was infectious as he found himself smiling at her, even if he did wonder how the girl knew his name. The girl squealed loudly, she looked very happy. But then, the girl paused, titling her head slightly. She looked at him and her mouth formed a small 'o' shape.

"Wait a minute Minato-chan! Big sister will be back soon!" She said and ran out of the room.

Wait a minute, did he hear that right? The girl had called herself big sister even though he was fairly sure he was older than her. In fact, the girl seemed to know him even though he never saw her in his whole life.

'This must be the thing Ryoji was talking about' He frowned as he looked at the white ceiling.

The sound of footsteps alerted him of the people approaching. Soon, the little girl came back with doctors in tow. The girl pointed at him excitedly while chattering to one of the doctor. The doctors, for some reason, looked shocked. He titled his head to look at them. The girl noticed and waved eunthesically while one of the doctors gave a gasp. The girl approached him and pointed to the doctors.

"Don't worry lil' bro! Those kind doctors will only examine you for a bit. After that, we can finally go home!" she said.

As if on cue, the doctors started approaching them. One of them gently ushered the girl to the side. The auburn hair girl simply pouted but stayed silent. The only female doctor of the group checked his pulse while the other observed and scribbled something in their notebooks. One of them checked, what he assumed to be the monitor to his left (Minato wasn't sure since he couldn't turned to look).

"Impossible…" The one who checked the monitor murmured.

"This infant wasn't going to survive…" Another doctor added under his breath.

Minato turned his head toward the doctor. What did he say? He must've heard wrong.

"No." The female doctor said as she lifted Minato up. "This is must be God's interference! This is a miracle!"

It was at that moment Minato noticed how small he is compared to the doctor. She was practically carrying him with one arm as if he weighted nothing. He made a small sound of surprise and glanced around the room. The girl and the doctors were staring at him while smiling. A male doctor stepped forward and cooed at him which made Minato raised an eyebrow at the display. The doctor had acted as if he was a baby. Minato frowned as suspicions formed in his mind.

"Doctor, can I carry Minato-chan? Pretty please?" The auburn haired girl pleaded as she approached the female doctor.

"Sure sweetheart. Just be careful ok?" The doctor kneeled down in front of the girl.

"I promise to be careful!" She gave the doctor a salute which resulted in the doctor smiling.

Minato only had a moment to wonder how a small child like her could carry him before the woman handed him to the auburn haired girl. To his surprise, the girl did manage to carry him although she was struggling a bit. The doctor was watching the girl carefully, ready to intercept in case the girl dropped him. The little girl paid no attention to the doctor as she stared at him. Minato returned the stare. Suddenly, the girl leaned forward and kissed his forehead.

"Big sister will protect you, Minato-chan! I promise! Hamuko will never let anything harm you ever again!" She whispered.

Minato squirmed gently in the girl's arms, not used to the feeling. He was missing something, he realized. The way these people treated him was unnatural. They treated him like he was a fragile thing. Not to mention the way they managed to carry him easily. Even the girl, Hamuko managed to carry him and she also kept saying herself as his big sister. He really, really hoped the situation was not like the one his mind had managed to conjecture.

"Shh…" Hamuko whispered soothingly.

Minato looked at her as warmth filled him. Even if he didn't know the girl, it felt surprisingly good to have her comforting him. He smiled slightly in thanks to her. The girl's face immediately brightened and she hugged him tighter. While being hugged to death by the girl, he took the chance to look around. It was a typical hospital room, similar to the one he stayed when he fist summoned his Persona.

His eyes roamed around the interior until his gaze fell into the small mirror that was lying beside the bed. He strained his neck to see its reflection. He tried to move his arms, only to find it still bound. If only he could see the reflection then his suspicions would be confirmed. He twisted and turned violently, hoping the girl would somehow release him.

"What's wrong?" Hamuko asked as she followed his gaze to the mirror. She looked at it in confusion for a second before comprehension dawned on her. She moved toward the mirror and picked the mirror up while adjusting her hold on Minato. She held the mirror in front of Minato.

"This is called a mirror, Minato-chan. We can see ourselves with this!" She explained.

However, Minato wasn't listening to her. He was more preoccupied in staring at the mirror with horror. The suspicions he had been true. Everyone's attitude made sense know. Why hadn't he realized this before? He was so very dumb. The signs were right in front of him and yet he chose to ignore it. Now, ignorance would be impossible.

Big grey eyes stared at him. Messy dark blue hair framed his chubby face. A blanket was wrapped firmly around his tiny body. Minato closed his eyes, unable to bear the sight much further. A sound of disbelief escaped his lips.

The mirror had reflected a baby. And that baby was him.

* * *

"What are you doing exactly?" Minato asked dubiously as he watched Ryoji pace around seemingly preparing something.

"Please be quiet for a moment, Minato-kun." Ryoji replied without pausing even once in his pacing.

Minato stayed silent even though his mind was reeling with nothing but questions. There were so many things he wanted to ask however the blue haired teen knew not to bother Ryoji at the moment. Instead, he began to ponder on things which had become his recent hobby. Ruffling his hair, he let out a barely audible a sigh.

Things were becoming so hectic. At first, he thought that if Nyx was sealed, everything would be over. Everyone got their normal lives back and they were happy, even if it did cost his life. He didn't mind at all. His heart ached at the thought. Without him realizing, his heart had yearned for the warmth provided by his comrades. As a result, his emotions clashed against each other. The desire to protect his friends and his yearning couldn't coexist. The consequences of these were fatal, one that could possibly erase all of their hard work.

And he promised to fix it all.

Minato gaze travelled to Ryoji's as he watched him pace around. He let out a small smile when Ryoji tripped on his feet and grumbled but still continued his pacing. The black haired boy was a really unusual case. He had lent a hand instead of simply just leaving him alone. He would rather risk himself getting sealed forever than to get free. Guilt latched onto Minato as he frowned sadly.

"Right, this one should do nicely."Ryoji suddenly stopped his pacing and turned around to face Minato.

Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Minato asked, "Ryoji, you haven't mentioned how you can travel to parallel worlds and what about Nyx?"

"I'm the personification of Death, Minato-kun. Death is inevitable, even in other worlds. I, as death, can establish a link to those worlds. With that, all I need to do is transfer you there."Ryoji explained while Minato nodded slowly. "Of course, it's essential to find a body for you to reside in and you can only reside in your own parallel worlds bodies as other bodies would be incompatible."

"That's the reason why I can't go to my own world, correct?"

"That's right. The body of your own world is now completely unusable so it can't be used to contain your soul."Ryoji said solemnly. "With the powers that aren't sealed, I managed to find a suitable world for our quests, one that might have the best chance in solving our dilemma."

"But, if I were to go to there, what would happen to Nyx? Earlier, you mentioned something about already figured it out."Minato gazed at Ryoji questioningly.

"Oh that…"Ryoji's smile turned sheepish.

"Ryoji…"The guardian of the great seal trailed off ominously.

"I-It's not a lie when I said I have a solution!"The avatar of Nyx added hastily. "It's just that having a seal is a must to contain Nyx. With you gone, there will be nothing stopping her from breaking free. So, what I was thinking was if the seal was going somewhere, then the one being sealed should tag along."

"In other words, you're planning to go with me."Minato summarized bluntly as he gazed at Ryoji blankly.

"Y-yeah, with both of us gone, the place will be empty. It'll be so empty that one would assume that we pressed a pause button on the place. Of course, if you don't want me going with you, I can find another way." Ryoji looking a bit panicked hurriedly explained while both of his hands were waving madly.

"Calm down Ryoji. I don't mind."Minato said as Ryoji paused hesitantly.

"Y-you don't?" The tension on the black haired teen's shoulder lessened considerably.

"Hey, it'll be like old times." Minato chuckled.

As the tension disappeared completely, Minato idly wondered if he was taking this a bit too lightly. A normal person would at least feel a little bit panicked or even overwhelmed. He assumed that the year he had spent as a leader of a group that had a high chance of dying made him firmer. At the thought, the flame of determination shined brighter inside of him.

"Ok then, just before we go, there's something you should know, Minato-kun."Ryoji took a deep breath, "There are no second chances. With just a small hole in The Seal's defenses managed to give me enough power to travel other worlds. If we fail this, the hole will get wider and…"

_The seal will break and the Fall would come once again._

The unspoken statement was not unheard by Minato. He stared at Ryoji and with unwavering voice, he said, "I was planning to finish this in one shot either way."

Ryoji nodded and gave a small smile at the determined gaze Minato had.

"Here we go!" The avatar of Nyx suddenly said as the air grew thicker and thicker till it was near suffocating. Minato could feel his whole body becoming numb and his vision becoming blurry. Suddenly, he felt incredible pain within his chest. He clawed at his chest desperately hoping to lessen the pain, however the pain only intensified. Before losing consciousness, Minato weakly cursed Ryoji for not warning him first.

* * *

That night, when everybody was asleep in the hospital, Minato stayed wide awake. Earlier, when the girl, Hamuko tried to stay with him through the night, he had made a big commotion by kicking and simply moving violently. He would've preferred asking them to leave politely but then he noticed that he couldn't even _speak_. Thank god, the doctors noticed his unusual behaviors and ushered Hamuko to her own room. After checking things were okay, the doctors themselves left, leaving baby Minato behind.

It was a good thing because Minato needed a time alone. He needed to process the information that he was a _baby_ with a _sibling_. Becoming a baby was definitely not the first thing that crossed his mind upon entering other worlds. How was he supposed to befriend with his friends when he couldn't even utter a single word? Was he supposed to wait until he grew up and then go search for them? Did he even have enough time to do that? Also, in his original world, he didn't have a sibling, and yet here, there was Hamuko. Her presence really surprised Minato.

'Why did you choose this world, Ryoji?' Minato thought unhappily.

Silence answered him. At that moment Minato realized that he hadn't heard from Ryoji at all during his short stay at this world. The now blue haired baby tried to call Ryoji out. But still, there were no responses.

Minato furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Hadn't Ryoji said that he would be coming with him? If that was the case, where was Ryoji? The personification of death should be residing inside him right now (he was the seal thus the sealed should be inside him). But, why wasn't he responding? Had something happened? As Minato was busy thinking, he didn't notice that the clock on the wall was pointing to 11.59 p.m.

When the clock pointed to 12 am, the surrounding area changed drastically. The machine beside his bed went dead, creepy green glow covered the area, and blood oozed out from random spots around the room.

At first, Minato didn't notice it. Until he found it weird that it was so silent, the constant beeping of the machine was absence. Imagine his surprise when he looked up only to find the Dark Hour happening. He looked around and even blinked thrice to make sure he wasn't imagining it.

'What the…' Minato stared around the room in shock.

Before he could ponder the meaning of it, the silence was broken by the sound of rushed footsteps. Minato snapped his head to the side and eyed the door warily as the noise grew louder and louder. The door opened with a loud bang. There, stood Hamuko who was breathing harshly and looking a bit pale. She quickly marched to his side and lifted him from the bed. She held him tightly and breathed a sigh of relief. Minato however, was stunned.

"I'll be here by your side until it's over." The auburn haired girl said to the stunned baby.

She put Minato back to his bed and carefully climbed the bed. She grabbed the blanket and put it over them both. As she laid herself comfortably on the bed, Minato finally snapped out of his surprised state. He stared intently at the girl beside her. Hamuko didn't notice as she was currently busy fighting of sleep. Being a girl as young as her, it was quite difficult to stay up so late.

Minato closed his eyes as the girl's quiet breathing filled the room. This girl, his sibling in this world, was not in the coffin during The Dark Hour. She had a potential. Minato didn't know what to think. This world still had The Dark Hour meaning that Nyx probably hadn't been sealed yet, if this world was anything like his own.

However, there was still a lot more that Minato didn't know. He really shouldn't be jumping into conclusions yet. Moreover, he couldn't get into contact with Ryoji too. A plan formed in his mind as he watched The Dark Hour end.

He needed more information on this world. Just how much was the difference between these two worlds? However, his current body did not give him much freedom to investigate. Thus, He would have to wait. As much as he wanted to look into the situation as soon as possible, it wouldn't be wise to rush. He just hoped this was the right decision.

* * *

**1 month later**

It had been three weeks since they left the hospital to stay with one of their relatives. From the various conversations Minato managed to eavesdrop, he learned that their (Hamuko and Minato) parents died in a car accident. The situation was similar to Minato's own past. Perhaps, their worlds were not that different after all. The fact that the people they were staying with were the same people in his past proved it. Maybe, the only thing difference was Hamuko's existence. But it was too early to tell.

"Minato-channn!" Hamuko wiggled a small stuffed toy in front of him.

Minato stared at the toy blankly. He held back the urge to sigh, instead he forced his lips to smile brightly. He raised his chubby and short hands towards the stuffed toy. He babbled nonsense while looking at the toy expectantly. The seven years old girl beamed at him and handed him the toy.

Minato gave a sigh of relief as he gripped the toy, not wanting to let it go. He did not enjoy doing this kind of acting. Usually, when other adults tried to play with him, he'd just ignore them. Yet, this girl's heartbroken expression when he rejected her was heartbreaking. Somehow, Hamuko reminded Minato of Maiko, the elementary school girl he used to play with. Minato couldn't bear to see the girl's sad expression so he often find himself entertaining the girl.

There was something that bothered Minato though. Hamuko was extremely attached to Minato. For this past month, she almost wouldn't leave his side. The times when they did separate were rare. Even then, it wouldn't be more than a few meters. It was almost as if the girl was afraid of him disappearing as soon as she averted her sight.

Minato couldn't blame the girl though. She had just lost her parents in a car accident that may or may not be related to the Shadows. The sudden lost probably caused a trauma. She most likely stayed close to him to seek comfort. Not that Minato minded, he was actually quite grateful for the company (he just didn't like the playing part). It helped him from feeling bored and from thinking too much. He had been thinking so much that he had been getting minor headaches.

Minato clutched the toy as he listened to Hamuko's ramble about why Orange was the best. Most might find it annoying but for Minato it was relaxing. He felt his eyes drooping and he yawned. Soon he fell asleep while still listening to Hamuko talking.

There was still no news from Ryoji.

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm so sorry for the late update DX I'm naturally a slow writer and my computer's monitor broke last week, so I couldn't type anything. I'll try to update sooner and try to make it longer! **

**Anyway, thank you for the reviews and follows and favorites! It really made my day! **

**Special thanks 2: Ulquii-sama again~! (^0^)/ (seriously post a fic soon so i can spam you with review)  
**

**Last but not least, please REVIEW when you're done! WHOOP!**


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